Namazu Clan
The is a clan native to the Land of Earth. They were once a large tribe having settled in the nation predating the . At one point their territory was thought to be impregnable, the clan as of current times are but a shadow of what they once were. Members are recognizable by their dark skin, and their raven colored hair. The clan has, thus far produced at least one Tsuchikage. 'Overview' The tribes origins are riddled in mystery, found in paintings on various pottery, in the weaving of blankets, and some even upon the walls of ancient temples and ruins. One would be hard pressed to find any one Namazu who could truly tell you of the clan's progenitor, knowledge said to be shared only amongst the elders of the tribe. Settled in what would come to be known as the Land of Earth, the Namazu lived off the land, and strove to avoid the conflicts brought about by Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki and his family. The Namazu, more often than not were sought after and employed to track down people and objects of value. As a tribe of hunters and gatherers their tracking skills were second to none. Often it was stated that if it exists in this world, the Namazu can find it. As time progressed the clan would come to settle in a ancient and long sought after city known as . This made the Namazu one of the wealthiest clans within not only the nation, but the world having an almost unlimited supply of gold, rubies, emeralds and other metals and jewels of great and monumental value. However, because of the tribe's practices very little emphasis was placed on the importance of the value of the city in comparison to the rest of the world. Members of the tribe would continue the ancient practice of their clan of selective breeding, members choosing to mate only with those with strong bodies, chakra, and unique abilities. It is a practice that made the clan one of the strongest within the world, specialized in tracking and battle. According to one of the clan's patriarchs "there exists no move, or technique under the sun that the Namazu cannot combat". Unfortunately the clan would come to meet its supposed inevitable end due to the ancient city they called home. 'The Fall of the Namazu' Years would pass, and the Warring States Era was soon upon the world. Word of a City of Gold had reached the ears of many influential Daimyō, they sought to hire the clan to find the city for them, but were turned down each and every time without any explanation offered to their would be employers. Their adamant refusal caused many to suspect that the clan knew the whereabouts of the mythical city of gold. Several villages formed a pact to conspire against the tribe. War was waged against the Land of Earth, as little more than a means to an end. While the Hidden Stone focused on staving off its attackers, they were blind to the true objective of the assault. A concentrated attack was focused on the temples erected by the clan's ancestors. It was an offense the clan could not quietly abide, forcing them to act. The battle waged on for days, weeks, and months on end. Many members of the once prosperous tribe were lost as the clan was driven to near extinction. The survivors eventually fled and went into hiding, the location of the ancient golden city never revealed to tribe's attackers. To date, the city's whereabouts are entrusted only to the patriarch and his household ensuring they alone and those accompanying them have access to the city and its many treasures. 'Customs and Beliefs' All members of the Namazu are, from a very young age, taught to respect and admire nature. Members hunt only for food and take offense towards those who merely hunt for sport, showing much disdain towards hunters and poachers. They believe that killing and consuming one's prey falls within the order of nature, and to kill animals beyond a means of survival disrupts that very balance. Members at a certain age, as a rite of passage undergo the of the clan. It is a Ceremony where one is sent out into the trenches of the forest and mountains, armed only with a spear or knife. Members are dressed in light clothing with ritualistic painting covering their flesh. The clansman is tasked to face and defeat a large predatory "monster". The wildlife in the far larger and stronger than those normally found within other similar environments, many nearing the size and power of a contracted summon. Once successfully killing their target the clansman is to bring the carcass back to the village where it is prepared for the feast. In the final step of the Mud Ceremony the clansman is fed a special concoction, brewed from various herbs with the blood of the animal they killed. Upon drinking the concoction the tribesman falls into a psuedo-death state and are immersed in a bed of heated mud. It is believed that upon doing this they are able to not only better commune with the earth and nature, strengthening their bond to it, but are also able to commune with the Namazu ancestors long since passed. In entering this death like state the Namazu eliminate the fear of death, having already experienced it once, allowing them to fight on fiercely in the heat of battle regardless of any disadvantage they may find themselves in. 'Stone Throwing' Another ritual and pass time of the clan is a type of game they refer to as . It is a game played on a large stone (or sometimes muddy) court. The game was played typically with a rubber or mud ball, the focal point of the game to get the ball in a stone ring mounted on the wall. The Namazu, aside from using the game for sports purposes, also used it as a means to train—honing their strength, speed, dexterity, coordination and chakra control.There are certain drawings that show the clan also made use of the game to settle disputes. 'Namazu Challenge' The Namazu are a clan of warriors, of hunters and gatherers, having incredible physical properties gained through centuries of selective breeding. The males of the clan are naturally drawn towards women with some manner of talent or unique abilities. The women of the clan are no less powerful than the men, and because of this refuse to take on any man weaker than themselves or their family; and thus the came to be. It is a competition of sorts, where the suitor is pitted against the woman's Grandfather, Father, brother(s) before ultimately facing against her, the very object of their desire. It is usually a contest of strength in which they engage in one on one combat in a series of grueling matches, though there are some cases where they are instead challenged in the Stone Throwing game of the tribe. In rare cases where the woman does not have any male family members the grandmother and mother step up to fulfill the role in the place of the males. 'Prophecy' The Namazu relied on the stars, the sun, and the behavior of animals to keep track of important events and dates, mostly those that held some symbolic purpose to the clan. The ancestors of the clan, the first generation of Namazu predicted the end of the world, leaving behind paintings on the walls and on the porcelain vases to forewarn future generations to prepare. It is a story passed down through the various generations. This earth ending prediction is known to all Namazu as the . According to the paintings and lore, the end will be brought about by one single individual. The clan to this day, believe that the appearance of the Jūbi, and even Kaguya Ōtsutsuki and her clan are mere precursors to the true end to come, signs sent to remind the clan to stay on guard and prepare. 'Abilities' As a warrior tribe the Namazu are bred and born for combat. Since times immemorial the clan has undergone a process of selective breeding, adopting the physical attributes and strengths of others; ultimately making them a tribe specialized in combat. Through this selective breeding process, the Namazu have obtained peak physical performance, including but not limited to strength, durability, and an extremely high tolerance for pain. This selective breeding process makes them physically superior to many others in terms of athleticism and physical strength. As such members seem to be adept in taijutsu, and bukijutsu—their skills as Hunter-gatherers making them second to none in terms of tracking. The selective breeding practice of the clan has also rewarded members with powerful chakra. The Namazu are said to be a clan both loved and cherished by the earth, so much so that all members have a natural affinity for the earth nature transformation. 'Earth Intuition' As those said to be loved by the earth it is the belief of every Namazu that the earth in terms offers them her protection. This is seen within the clan's ability. It is an ability unique to the lost tribe, greatly augmenting their sensitivity with nature to heights only believed to exist in lore and folktales. Its gone by many names throughout history and tales; intuition, instinct, sixth sense—it is the power of survival. Much like how animals can sense predatory threats, changes in the weather, or imminent natural disasters the ability bestows upon the clansman knowledge without inference, without reason—allowing them to sense nearing and acute danger, the presence of a powerful threat or foe, and impending danger. The manner in which the ability is realized varies from member to member within the clan. Some are alerted by a feeling, a voice whispering to them when to move and where. Others perceive danger in the form of a bright white light highlighting a particular space or person as if to forewarn them, others have been rumored to even gain small glimpses of what the threat may very well be. It is an ability that acts beyond their will, outside of their natural senses. When alerted time seems to creep to a crawl as everything becomes clearer. Voices and sounds become a drawl, as movements grow stagnant within their perception. While in such a state the clansman becomes able to discern the most likely course of events and infer its affects on them and their surroundings, all with the minimal use of their natural senses. It should not go without note that members are able to detect the flow of natural energy. It is common belief within Namazu lore that the ability allows for their clan to better commune with and understand the earth and those who inhabit her. 'Kekkei Genkai' 'Mud Release' The clan aside from their inherit physical abilities, certain members have been shown to be born with the rare nature transformation Mud Release (泥遁, Deiton). For a member to be born with the Kekkei Genkai is incredibly rare, though even without it the clan as a whole still make use of mud in a number of ways, though not generally for combat purposes. 'Trivia' *The Death like state of the clan is somewhat inspired by Black Panther *Being buried in mud is a nod at the Namazu in lore which lives in mud *Earth Intuition is inspired by Menace Vision from Psyren, Observation Haki from One Piece, and the awareness that real animals have and the 'Kings' from Toriko. *The Stone Throwing game of the clan is based on the Mesoamerican Ballgame Pok-A-Tok in Mayan culture *The Namazu prophecy is inspired by the end of the world prediction of the Aztecs *The Golden City is inspired by El Dorado *The Selective Breeding of the clan is inspired from the Kure Clan from the series Kengan Ashura